The online fundraiser created to support convicted murderer Karmelo Anthony and his family has been removed after raising nearly $634,000, even as Anthony now claims in court filings that he cannot afford legal representation for his appeal.
Anthony was convicted of murder Tuesday and sentenced to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.
He has since filed a notice of appeal seeking to challenge the conviction and sentence.
According to court documents cited by WFAA, Anthony told the court he is unable to pay for an attorney to handle the appeal.
The filing describes Anthony as a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.”
The claim has drawn attention because Anthony’s family previously benefited from a fundraising campaign that collected nearly $634,000 before being removed from GiveSendGo.
The campaign, titled “Help Karmelo Official Fund,” was launched on April 15, 2025, less than two weeks after the fatal stabbing that led to Anthony’s arrest.
Its original fundraising goal was nearly $1.4 million.
According to the fundraiser’s description before it was taken offline, the money was intended to cover more than just legal expenses.
The campaign stated that proceeds would also be used for family relocation, transportation, counseling, security measures and basic living expenses that arose following the highly publicized case.
The description specifically cited escalating threats against the Anthony family as justification for relocating them from their home.
It has not been publicly disclosed where the family ultimately moved.
However, a man identifying himself on Facebook as Anthony’s father, Drew Anthony, currently lists New Orleans, Louisiana, as his place of residence.
GiveSendGo addressed the fundraiser’s removal in a statement posted to social media.
“The fundraiser was created to support pre-trial needs, and those funds were dispersed over the past year for lawful purposes, including legal defense and family relocation,” the company said.
The platform added that the campaign was closed because its stated purpose had been fulfilled and that its policy requires fundraisers to accurately reflect the reasons donors are contributing.
“Our policy is that a fundraiser stated purpose stays accurate so givers always know what they are supporting,” the company said.
Although the original campaign has ended, reports indicate another fundraising effort has since been launched on behalf of Anthony’s family.
According to those reports, the new campaign was started by Dallas-area activist and minister Dominique Alexander.
Alexander served as a spokesman for Anthony’s family throughout the criminal proceedings and frequently addressed media questions during the case.
The 35-year prison sentence means Anthony will remain incarcerated while pursuing his appeal unless future court proceedings alter that status.
His assertion that he cannot afford appellate counsel has nevertheless prompted renewed discussion because of the substantial amount of money previously raised in his family’s name.
The available court filings do not specify whether Anthony personally has access to any of the donated funds or whether those resources remain under the control of family members or were exhausted for the purposes outlined by the fundraiser.
Likewise, it remains unclear how much of the nearly $634,000 was ultimately spent on legal fees, relocation costs or other expenses identified in the campaign description.
The appeal itself will move forward through the Texas court system as Anthony seeks to overturn his conviction or obtain a new trial.
For now, the removal of the fundraiser and the filing claiming financial hardship have created another point of public scrutiny in a case that has generated widespread attention since the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, Trending Politics reported.
Whether the court grants Anthony appointed counsel based on his indigency claim will likely become one of the next significant developments as the appeal process unfolds.